April 22, 2007
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. -
Strong pitching performances dominated this weekend's Missouri Valley Conference baseball series between Illinois State and Evansville, with the Purple Aces coming out on top in the first two contests. On Sunday, though, it was the Redbirds' turn to shut down the Evansville offense, as freshman Ryan Copeland threw six shutout innings and the bullpen closed the game to help ISU (17-20, 8-7 MVC) shut out UE (28-14, 9-6 MVC) by a score of 3-0 to avoid the series sweep at Redbird Field.
The shutout by the Redbirds was their second of the season and just the first for Evansville since its final game of the 2005 season, a streak of 107 games.
Copeland (3-2), who made his first start since March 23 against Saint Louis, allowed just four hits and struck out two batters in six strong innings of work. Reliever Jim Sajewich then threw a scoreless seventh inning and Kyle O'Brien finished the game with scoreless eighth and ninth innings to pick up his fourth save of the season. Evansville starter Mark Murray (3-2) suffered the loss, after allowing three runs on nine hits in six innings on the hill.
Evansville took early leads in the previous two games, but it was ISU who jumped out to a quick 1-0 advantage in the series finale. Collin Salzenstein led off the game with a leadoff single and then Mike Stalowy drove him all the way from first base with a double down the left field line for the first run of the game.
The Purple Aces tried to answer back in the top of the second inning, as Pat Tumilty led off the inning with a leadoff triple. However, Copeland got Jeff Zelonovich to strike out swinging and then Tumilty was thrown out a home trying to score on a ground ball by Robbie Minor to end the UE threat.
Both pitchers settled down for the next three innings, before the Redbirds tacked on two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Kevin Dubler singled into right field and then advanced to second base when Jesse Griswold reached on a fielding error by UE third baseman Andy Smith. Kevin Konsler then singled into left field to score Dubler from second and give ISU a 2-0 lead. O'Brien then reached on a fielder's choice as Konsler was put out at second base for the second out of the frame. With Kyle Cherney up to bat, O'Brien and Griswold executed a perfect first and third double-steal, which allowed Griswold to slide in under the tag at home plate and widen the lead to 3-0.
That is where the score would stay, as the Redbird bullpen shut down the Evansville hitters for the final three innings of play to win the final game of the series. Stalowy completed a strong series with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, while Salzenstein, Dubler and Konsler all added two hits apiece for the `Birds.
ISU returns to action on Tuesday when it travels to Iowa City, Iowa, to battle Big Ten Conference foe Iowa for a mid-week showdown. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
